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Thanks but no thanks

I just couldnt get myself to purchase this unit based on the problems and the price. I found an Enviro Omega stove at a distributor in Baltimore. It turns out that it was the only one around. 60,000 btu made in Canada with a octagon burn pot and agitator for burning corn and poor quality pellets. Its a free standing unit that has a unique look to it. Youll either love it or hate it.

The price was $2,900 a little less than the AE FS and I could only find positive feedback online on it.

new Mt Vernon AE owner needs technical knowhow

I purchased an AE insert in Oct 2007. This unit was manufactured in Sept 2007. I have thus far burned a little over a ton of premium hardwood pellets in the unit without any problems whatsoever. This unit is installed in a very large home and runs on a manual high setting most of the time. My question is related to the burn setting more than anything else. While burning on high (hardwood pellet setting) the unit will operate approximately 2 1/2 hours before performing a self clean. This self clean generates a very small amount of ash. I would like to see this until run longer in between cleanings because each cleaning cycle wastes valuable time that could be used to heat.

I would like to know if anyone has tested other settings and burn cycles to determine what their clean cycles are? Yesterday for example I set the fuel type to soft wood pellets and found that the unit ran for approx. 3 1/2 hours prior to cleaning (again only on HIGH). That cycle produced an amount of ash I though appropriate for a cycle. The problem with that setting however was that the flame appeared to me to be way too high even after I lowered that to -4. I assume the utility pellet setting cleans even faster so I haven't tried that.

Any advise from those burning good quality pellets? At this point I'm leaning toward running it on soft wood pellets even though I'm using hardwood and not worrying about the flame height as much.

Have you tried running it on automatic mode at all? I would also suggest that. The softwood pellets should give the longest run time between auto-clean. I would think it would be longer than 2.5 hours for hardwood though, its possible on manual mode it cleans more often. You could also try giving the dealer or the Quad 800 number a call and see if they know anything more ab out it. With the 800 number expect to be on hold for at least 5 mins this time of the year, they prefer the calls be channeled through the dealer first.

I have tried the automatic mode. I set the desired temp to 69. I found however that the Quad won't go to a Moderate, let alone High mode until it's way too cold in the house. This is after I set my desired differential to 1.5 degrees.

I did call Quad a couple of weeks ago. Their only suggestion was to run it on battery backup mode. They said that in that mode the self clean only occurs once a day. Needless to say this is not a viable option. I was rather disappointed in their "solution".

Originally Posted by jtp10181

Have you tried running it on automatic mode at all? I would also suggest that. The softwood pellets should give the longest run time between auto-clean. I would think it would be longer than 2.5 hours for hardwood though, its possible on manual mode it cleans more often. You could also try giving the dealer or the Quad 800 number a call and see if they know anything more ab out it. With the 800 number expect to be on hold for at least 5 mins this time of the year, they prefer the calls be channeled through the dealer first.

I have a very large home and if it is cold, I will never get above about 73 or so. With that said, I set it at 85 degrees for 5:00 a.m.. This assures that it will always run on high early in the morning on startup. I know how long it takes to get to 72 or so and set it to drop down to around 75 or so around 8:00 a.m., and it runs on a lower low or medlum to maintain that temparature.

Your conditions will vary, but you get the idea.

Also, if I run it on high all day long on automatic mode, i find that it goes through self clean mode about once a day if it is running almost all day.

A big thanks! This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. The only thing I'm curious about now is what type of fuel you're burning and what type of fuel you've got the Quad set to.

Originally Posted by Scottnjtjk

I have a very large home and if it is cold, I will never get above about 73 or so. With that said, I set it at 85 degrees for 5:00 a.m.. This assures that it will always run on high early in the morning on startup. I know how long it takes to get to 72 or so and set it to drop down to around 75 or so around 8:00 a.m., and it runs on a lower low or medlum to maintain that temparature.

Your conditions will vary, but you get the idea.

Also, if I run it on high all day long on automatic mode, i find that it goes through self clean mode about once a day if it is running almost all day.

Mt Vernon AE Autoclean

I've had my Mt. Vernon AE for one year now. I've had my share of issues but things are going good now.

As far as the auto clean: That has always been one of my big complaints. They have come out with some new SW that increases the time between cleaning.

Scott, I'm really surprised to hear that you say it only cleans once per day in the Auto mode. I thought the clean cycle was the same regardless of Auto or Manual. I thought the only thing that dictated the clean cycle was what setting the stove was in (l, ml, m, etc). I'll have to give this a try.

Also, I'm not trying to take anything away from this site, but iburncorn.com has got a bunch of people on it who know alot about the AE.

In the interest of full disclosure, my estimate is not nearly scientific, but rather from casual obsevation. We run the stove on high for about three hours in the a.m. and about three hours in the evening. Between morning and evening it runs as needed, typically on low or medium low.

Originally Posted by yamride

Scott, I'm really surprised to hear that you say it only cleans once per day in the Auto mode. I thought the clean cycle was the same regardless of Auto or Manual. I thought the only thing that dictated the clean cycle was what setting the stove was in (l, ml, m, etc). I'll have to give this a try.

Also, I'm not trying to take anything away from this site, but iburncorn.com has got a bunch of people on it who know alot about the AE.

I second the referral of iburncorn.com to prospective or current AE users.

ok, here's my update based on suggestions I have followed. I have now run the stove on a High setting on both Manual and Auto mode and there has been no difference in time in between the autoclean. What I did do however is switch from a Hardwood fuel type to Softwood. This has helped tremendously. In the Hardwood mode I was running for about 2 to 2.5 hours between clean cycles. In the Softwood setting the clean cycle is more like 4 hours. I have had to adjust the flame height to -4. After running in Hardwood over the past month and seeing temps drop in the house during those more often than not cleaning cycles, I'll take the double run time!

In the Hardwood mode I was running for about 2 to 2.5 hours between clean cycles. In the Softwood setting the clean cycle is more like 4 hours. I have had to adjust the flame height to -4. After running in Hardwood over the past month and seeing temps drop in the house during those more often than not cleaning cycles, I'll take the double run time!

Quadrafire PROBLEMS--I suggest that you read BEFORE....

I have read a variety of comments related to the Quadrafire Mt. Vernon AE and can now offer some insights from actual experience. I will candidly say that our experience was NOT good although, in the end, we came out ok. Let me elaborate. We purchased this unit because of BTU output, control with a thermostat that could be installed in a remote location, and salesmanship by the dealer. Some mild research (not nearly enough, it turned out) and dealer comments led us to believe that this unit may actually be "better" that a Harmon product (which they were also selling). Cold weather and a closing installation window pushed us to place an order and purchase and install (ourselves) another $1000. worth of S/S liner. The stove was received and installed without a hitch. An attempted startup failed the first time and the dealer was called to resolve after some superficial personal troubleshooting could NOT find any obvious install or stove issues. The dealer was very responsive, initially, BUT I believe, from a subsequent conversation, at a loss to clearly defined the problem. He ordered a new computer board. Installed, the stove started and ran for some time, BUT ultimately failed to restart during one of the cleaning cycles. Following the installation of a SECOND computer board, the dealer hung around for some 2-1/2 hrs (after I had to leave for a dinner) and had several conversations with the factory to try to figure out why our stove was "not operating correctly" as stated in a note he left behind. That is, he advised that he was NOT satisfied that the operating problems had been fixed when he had to leave for the evening. After talking with my wife, I called the next day to inform him that the stove was to be removed and full credit issued. Ultimately, after additional factory/dealer "mis-communications" and some controlled BUT disgusted conversations with the dealer, we finally got a full CREDIT for this unit. While thankful for the outcome (although we have been left without a significant source of heat in the middle of winter) I can advise ANYONE that I would never purchase another Quadrafire product.

It is a simple proposition that the public expects to recieve the benefits of the tools that they are exchanging hard-earned cash for. I have read more than one thread implying that we are either impatient, or not empathetic, or need to give the manufacturer time to work out the problems. Baloney! A willingness to extend "understanding" may be relevant for those you love, or any entity that you have built up a trusting relationship with. I do not have that relationship with the folks at the helm of the Quadrafire organization.

What I thought I had ordered was a product that would start the first time, run reliably, warm my home, and be a valued purchase. What I received was a series of operating problems due to either poor design or quality control, or both, frustrations with the dealer, a poor opinion of the manufacturer, and a forum to share these thoughts to save others from what, I opinion, was a mistaken purchase.

I won't detail all of the RED flags seen over the course of our experience BUT I will tell you that I was and am amazed that any company such as this can seriously expect to garner success by doling out so much frustration to its customers.

One thing I do believe has tremendous value is the opportunity to share candidly, yet responsibly, opinions about a myriad of choices in the marketplace. Great products (quality, value, and empathy and respect for the customer in the value delivered) will win the day every time. Produce the opposite and I think the result is pretty predictable over the long haul.